Senator Ted Cruz flew to Cancun, Mexico, with his family for a trip this week, while Texas is dealing with the aftermath of a winter storm that has left millions of people without power. An airline source familiar with the situation told CBS News that the Republican senator was scheduled to fly home on Saturday, but changed his reservation and flew home on Thursday afternoon.
Photos of Cruz arriving at the airport for the trip spread on social media, sparking criticism of the senator for leaving during the crisis. Cruz said on Thursday that he wanted to accompany his children who were leaving for a trip with friends.
“With classes canceled during the week, our girls asked to take a trip with friends. Wanting to be a good father, I flew with them last night and I’m flying back this afternoon,” Cruz said in a statement.
However, a source with knowledge of the trip said Cruz and his family were originally scheduled to return to Houston on Saturday, but changed their reservation on Thursday morning. Cruz returned to Houston on Thursday afternoon. His wife and children will return on Saturday as planned, the source said.
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On Thursday, Cruz said he has been in “constant communication” with local leaders “to get to the bottom” of the Texas grid failure. “The largest state in the largest country in the world has run out of power. We have power lines, gas and people sleeping in the houses of our neighbors. Our houses are freezing and our lights are off. Like millions of Texans, our family lost heat and energy too. “
At least 34 deaths were attributed to the storm, 20 of the victims were from Texas. Widespread outages have left more than 3 million without power this week, although most have been restored. More than 350,000 residents were still without power on Thursday afternoon.
Some of Cruz’s political opponents have asked him to step down.
“Ted Cruz’s departure for Mexico while Texans are freezing is not surprising, but it is deeply disturbing and disappointing,” said Gilberto Hinojosa, president of the Texas Democratic Party. “We are in a battle for the soul of our state. We must restore ethics, competence and a government that works for the people.”
Justin Carissimo and Alan He contributed to this report.